Longtime Wesley House Family Services CEO Doug Blomberg has resigned from the social welfare organization, effective Monday, The Citizen has learned.

The move comes as Wesley House struggles to keep pace with the surging need for its services throughout the county, according to Wesley House board Chairman Bryan Green.

"Monroe County, like Miami-Dade, is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of children being referred to our care," said Green, who will take over as interim CEO until a suitable replacement for Blomberg can be found. "It's gone up 51 percent in the past three months alone, especially in the Upper Keys, which has put a huge strain on our services.

"Doug is just exhausted," said Green. "He's done an incredible job for 12 years, but he's had enough, and we completely respect his decision to resign. This is an amicable decision that he's taken on his own."

Blomberg joined Wesley House in 2001 as finance director, becoming CEO in 2005.

His resignation is part of a larger reshuffling that has been building for some time now, and has just been announced to staff.

• On Dec. 26, the Wesley House offices at Habana Plaza in Key West will be closed for good, and staff consolidated in newly refurbished office space at its Truman Avenue headquarters. From now on, full case management and family support services personnel will work from this single location.

• Wesley House is taking measures to increase its number of full-time case managers, and create two teams operating from Key West and Tavernier.

• The board will also invite representatives from other organizations, such as Our Kids of Miami, the Florida Department of Children and Families, and Foster and Adoptive Parents, to better respond to community needs.

• Lastly, the agency is negotiating to extend its Community Based Care contract services from July 1, 2014. This contract is managed on behalf of Our Kids.

Reached for comment on Thursday afternoon, Blomberg called his resignation a "personal decision."

"I'm moving on to some other opportunities," he said. "It's been my pleasure to serve the parents and children of Monroe County, and to support the mission statement of Wesley House."